Unheralded midfielder near top of danger list

Brad Elborough

While most of the hype surrounding Fremantle this week will be around the usual list of stars, it's the Dockers' second tier of youngsters that Sydney coach John Longmire will be spending extra time preparing for.

Longmire will already have plans in place to curb the influence of damaging midfielders Nat Fyfe, David Mundy and Michael Barlow.

A tagger may get the early heads-up that he'll be watching ball-carrier Stephen Hill.

A good whack of time also will be spent looking at ways of keeping speedy goalsneaks Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantyne under control - then there are veterans Luke McPharlin, Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands to consider.

But the Dockers' qualifying final win over Geelong gave a true insight into their success this season - it's the depth in their player list.

With Clancee Pearce and Garrick Ibbotson sidelined, it was the defensive performances of two young South Australians that stood out against Geelong.

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Lee Spurr was playing just his 34th game and Cam Sutcliffe his 21st, but their coolness in defence was decisive. They took a dozen marks between them.

Those performances could make life tough for Lyon and the match committee at the selection table this week if Pearce and Ibbotson are cleared to play.

Former Port Adelaide midfielder Danyle Pearce has added some zip to the Dockers' running brigade and he delivers the ball inside their attacking 50 with class that the club has lacked in previous seasons.

Although Pavlich has struggled with fitness in 2013, he remains a massive key during these finals - especially considering his chances of a premiership are running out.

But the recent performances of another young Croweater - Lachie Neale - will be taking up extra time in Longmire's preparation.

Neale had 21 possessions against the Cats nine days ago and with six clearances, trailed only Fyfe (7) and Mundy (7) - from both teams.

As far as numbers go, it wasn't his best effort. Ignoring the Dockers' loss to St Kilda in round 23, Neale averaged 26 possessions in the previous six games.

But it's never been about numbers at Fremantle.

''He knows that if he looks at the numbers that he will be entering dangerous territory,'' said Dockers assistant and development coach Simon Lloyd.

''He's only in the infancy of his career and he knows he's fighting for his position in the team.

But he's obviously performing well.

''The old adage comes to mind, though - it comes with hard work.''

Lloyd said Neale took every opportunity to tap into the knowledge of the Dockers' talented midfield group.

Neale, from Glenelg, has played 21 games since being taken at No. 58 in the 2011 national draft.

If not for a severe ankle injury, he could easily have another 20 games under his belt.

Former Fremantle and West Coast defender Greg Harding has been coaching Neale in the WAFL, at Swan Districts, and has seen him develop this season.

He has played seven games with the Swans in 2013 and Harding says he has seen enough to suggest that Neale has the ability to become an elite midfielder.

''What he offers already at an elite level is that he can go to a stoppage and win the footy and then exit the stoppage cleanly,'' Harding said.

''Others can win it and then they hack it forward. But Lachie wins it, he stays composed and links up - especially well by hand.

''When Lachie Neale wins the ball from a stoppage, his team usually ends up with the ball inside their attacking 50.

''He'll usually get it at half-back, release one of the midfielders, who can then look into attack.

''His major strength, though, is that he is really neat - he brings great skills to the table, especially with a 35 to 40-metre hit-up.

''In time, he will become an A-grade midfielder.

With another pre-season under his belt, he'll start challenging the likes of Mundy and Barlow as the number one or two midfielders at the Dockers.''

Only Mundy, Barlow and Fyfe lead Neale for the most possessions, on average per game, this season.

And currently Neale is a greater barometer of how Fremantle will fare.

He averages 24 touches each time the Dockers win, but only 17 disposals when the boys in purple lose.

That could be reason enough to make sure one of the opposition's defensive midfielders pays him a little more attention in Saturday night's preliminary final.